“Amazing experience in Manu with SAS...
Visiting Amazonia may not be for everyone, but we were willing to rough it a bit and SAS delivered an experience that will stay with us for a lifetime.

We engaged SAS Travel in Cusco for an 8-day tour to Manu National Park in Peruvian Amazonia for December 2011. All arrangements were made online before our arrival. Our family party of four was joined in Cusco by a Canadian couple, SAS naturalist/guide Herbert, cook Renaldo, driver Guillermo, and in Atelaya by local boatman Milton and crewman Luiz. Herbert is an exceptionally knowledgeable naturalist guide; Renaldo is a first class wilderness cook. We felt quite safe in the hands of Guillermo, Milton, and Luiz on treacherous roads and rain swollen rivers. We would definitely use SAS again and would recommend them to friends.

It takes a full day and then some for the drive from Cusco to the Alto Madre de Dios River at Atelaya. The single lane, unpaved road is not for the faint of heart, especially in the rainy season, which was just beginning when we were there. Our driver was very conscientious, however, allowing us to enjoy the cloud forest clinging to vertical mountainsides without our being too concerned with the ruts, washouts, and streams rushing over the road. From Atelaya, the trip was on a long and narrow, locally built wooden riverboat, two seats abreast, with a canvas canopy to protect from rain and sun, a 60HP outboard in the stern and an extra in the bow (just in case). Overnight accommodations were in small bamboo or canvas-sided huts raised off the ground on stilts. Tasty and creative meals were prepared in a dining hut or, for lunches, on the boat. Because we were there for Christmas, Renaldo prepared a Christmas cake in a double boiler over a gas flame. Given that all of the food, water, and other supplies had to be carried on the boat with us, the quality and variety of the meals was excellent. After dinner, we the guests would play cards by lantern or candle light with Herbert, Renaldo, Milton, and Luiz. The camaraderie was welcoming, despite language limitations.

We chose the 8-day tour because we wanted to get into the Reserved Zone of the park. It was a good choice. We saw wildlife along the river, from jungle trails, from hides and blinds, and flying overhead. We saw giant river otters up close, black caiman, six species of monkey, and well over 100 different birds. At the Blanquillo clay lick we stopped counting macaws at 75. They were surrounded by hundreds of smaller parrots and parakeets. We spent the night at a blind overlooking a tapir lick, where individual mattresses were laid out for us, each with its own mosquito netting. We saw seven individual tapirs over the course of the night. Huge bats were flying so close to the blind that one of us was slapped in the face by a bat wing. There were fresh jaguar tracks on the trail. The day we entered the Reserved Zone, the park register at the ranger station showed that a small group had left that morning, leaving us as the only party in the Zone. To say we were pleased with our trip would be a huge understatement.

DAY 1 CUSCO – BAMBU LODGE .- Early at 05:45 am pick up from your hotels in Cusco, first part of our excursion will take us through the majestic Andean mountains, after an 45 minutes we will find Huacarpay lake, a high Andean Lagoon that boasts heaps of flora and fauna typical of the Andean mountains a paradise to see birds. Afterwards we will arrive to Huancarani which contains the funeral towers of Ninamarca, a cemetery of the Lupaca Pre –Inca Culture, then we will reach Paucartambo, the famous traditional and folkloric town. At mid-day we will arrive at the entrance of Manu National Park and access to one of the most protected natural areas in South America. We will continue on our bus down a dirt road and on through the thick fog from which this section of the forest takes it name. Eventually we will arrive at the home of the exotic Peruvian National Bird, Gallito de las rocas, the “Cock of the Rocks”, to observe the social gathering that seems reminiscent of a large courtship. You will find that this is quite an amazing spectacle complete with an impressive array of sounds and colours that can only be found in the jungle. For our first night, we will stay in the BAMBU Lodge, where we will arrive at approx. 5:00 p.m

DAY 2 BAMBU LODGE – BLACK SPIDER MONKEY LODGE - After breakfast we leave to Puerto Atalaya, on the way we will make a few stops to visit small native communities of Patria and Pillcopata. These communities are well-known to be producers of many varieties of jungle fruits even the famous Coca plant. Later, we will begin the boating portion of our journey in a river excursion on the Madre de Dios, or “Mother of God” River, one of the tributaries of the mighty Amazon River. During our day we will have the chance to observe many types of colorful birds such as parrots, macaws, oropendolas, vultures and others species. Hopefully, we will make some sightings of some jungle mammals such as monkeys or the famous capybaras (jungle rodents that are as much as 2.5 feet long Towards the late afternoon, we will arrive to our next sleeping destination, arriving approximately at 3:00 p.m. Here, we have showers and services available. (Walks at night optional)

DAY 3 BLACK SPIDER MONKEY LODGE .- At the crack of dawn we will go on an early morning trek through the jungle on our way to enjoy the one the Amazon Jungles most impressive spectacles, the amazing Blanquillo Macaw Clay Lick. This is where hundreds of colorful parrots, parakeet and Macaws congregate to “lick” the clay thereby receiving its nutrients. In the afternoon, we will explore the primary forest around our Lodge and in the evening we will spend the night at the tapir clay lick (it’s a place where the mammals congregate to eat minerals, according with some biologist in Manu, the toxins “poison produced within plants and seeds” ingested by mammals will be controlled by licking this clay rich in minerals and salts.

DAY 4 BLACK SPIDER MONKEY LODGE - CAPYBARA LODGE. - We will go to one of the main areas of the Manu National Park, the Tourist Zone. For the next 5 to 6 hours, depending on the level of the water in the Manu River, we will sail up the robust river in our motor boat. Because of the lack of civilization in this part of the jungle it will make all that much easier for us to take notice of the rich wildlife to be found here. Animals such as Capybaras, Caymans, monkeys and with a little bit of luck, maybe we will be able to see the great, South American feline, the Jaguar, which may just resting in some place along the river. We will then arrive to our private area in the jungle, the Capybara Lodge where we will spend the 2 following nights. If there is sufficient time, we will hike a trail system nearby the camp site, your guide will offer you a full interpretation of the fauna and flora, the ecosystem, interaction and symbiosis in this fragile ecosystem of this complicated Tropical Amazonian forest. (Walks at night optional)

DAY 5 CAPYBARA LODGE. - We will begin with an early morning visiting one of the biggest lake in the park the stunning Salvador Lake, which is the natural habitat for any countless number of local species. This is the jungle at its best, boasting such animals as the Black Cayman and the Giant River Otters, both of which are endangered and at risk of extinction. This is one of the only areas in the entire world where we may see one, not in captivity, but instead in its natural environment. During the evening, we will continue on to see another lake, this one equipped with a lookout tower alongside used for viewing the immense lake from a birds-eye-view. This will be a fantastic opportunity to soak up the amazing views of Otorongo Lake. Then we will return to Capybara Lodge for dinner and deserved resting. (Walks at night optional)

DAY 6 CAPYBARA LODGE – BOCA MANU LODGE .- Today we have one more opportunity to explore de forest around Salvador Lake or around the lodge; maybe we will even have a chance to see a group of Tamarine Monkeys, which are the smallest monkeys in the entire world. Be aware of surroundings, because they could sneak up right behind you! Later after lunch we will take the boat and travel for four hours down stream the Manu River to Boca Manu Lodge, on the way we might see some black caimans laying on the beach getting the sun heat, maybe we will be able to see the great, South American feline, the Jaguar, which may be just resting in the sun in some place along the river. At night, we will visit another system of trails with a completely different set of characteristics than the first one. Our guide will explain to us why and how locals are still using different plants of the jungle as traditional medicines and show us native plants from the area.

DAY 7 BOCA MANU LODGE – BAMBU LODGE. Early in the morning, we will depart and move on in the direction of our last lodging Bamboo Lodge of the journey, In order to get there, we will travel for 6 hours with a stop in a beautiful place of hot spring, where we will spend some time to relax and swimming in the hot spring, from here it takes some more hours to get to Puerto Atalaya where we will take a car and drive for one hour an a half to Bamboo Lodge.

DAY 8 BAMBU LODGE – CUSCO. If for any reason on first day we didn’t see the Gallito de las rocas, Andean Cock of the Rock, today we have one more chance to visit the Lek of the famous Peruvian National Bird Gallito de las rocas, and enjoy the amazing show. Then back to Cusco.

WHAT IS INCLUDED.-

Qualified naturalist guide speaking English with telescope binoculars and own equipment.

SAS Travel provides Ecotourism at its best, working with people from the region to improve their lives, conserving the environment and preserving the rain forest ecosystem of Manu national park and the amazon for the future generations.

SAS Travel -Trusted, certified local travel specialists, Customize your trip to your exact needs We work with only the very best professional naturalist guides. Small groups, personal touch, live in the moment. Pay direct prices. No expensive overhead, Secure & easy booking –guaranteed. Once you are happy with the trip plan and cost, you can book your entire trip via SAS Travel´s secure payment platform. SAS Travel offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you are not fully satisfied with us, we’ll work with you to make it right.